This position provides homebased services to assist in reducing child abuse/neglect, solution-focused services to assist families with meeting behaviorally specific goals and aims to keep families intact. This position works alongside families to decrease the risk of child abuse/neglect and out of home placement and help effectively meet the needs of at-risk families. The Families Together Building Solutions worker will enhance household management skills, the use of transportation networks, communication and conflict resolution skills, and increase the use and awareness of community resources.

This position will serve Kalamazoo county. 

Wage: Up to $47,715.20 annually; $22.94/hour based on relevant work experience.

Are you passionate about discovering new ways to help empower people and make a difference in their lives?

If you’ve got what it takes to support us in our mission to provide help and create hope through innovative, collaborative, and diverse programs within the community, then we’ve got the right opportunity for you.

About Catholic Charities West Michigan

Catholic Charities West Michigan (CCWM) is a community-based agency providing programs in Western Michigan and offering a variety of services in family preservation, behavioral health, child welfare, and community outreach.

• CCWM is committed to ensuring a diverse workforce and a work environment whereby all staff are treated with dignity, respect, and fairness.
• CCWM encourages persons of diverse backgrounds and faiths to apply for employment.

• Provides services in accordance with the FTBS contract requirements.
• Adheres to the Solution-Focused, Brief Therapy Treatment Model.
• Provides in-home services for 90 days in duration with a possible extension up to an additional 90 days.
• Provides an average of 3 hours per week per family in face-to-face service.
• Transports clients utilizing personal vehicle, as needed.
• Maintains a caseload up to 6 families simultaneously.
• Flexible work schedules must be maintained to ensure appointments are scheduled based on families’ needs and to allow for timely crisis intervention.
• Completes all trainings as required by the contract and the agency.
• Conducts an assessment of family history to include strengths, needs, and child development, and develop goals in coordination with the family. Regularly update service plan to reflect changes in the family’s circumstances, needs, and goal progress.
• Writes Initial Prevention Plans, Updated Prevention Plans, and Closing Prevention Plans.
• Provides direct services to help the family strengthen protective factors and attain goals outlined in the Service Plan. Services should meet the individual needs of the family.
• Teaches, models, and documents Infant Safe Sleep teaching and practices for all families with an infant aged less than one year.
• Develops a proactive and reactive safety plan with each family, based on identified risk factors, and continually assess appropriate safety planning.
• Conducts a routine inquiry for domestic violence with each referred family.
• Makes referrals to other services as appropriate.
• Works collaboratively with all other service providers involved with the family and the referring worker to assist the family toward goal achievement.
• Completes mandatory MDHHS releases and authorizations.
• Observes and interview parents and children, using skills from Protective Factors Framework® and document the Protective Factors observed.
• Administers Specific Assistance Funds, averaging $100.00 per family served, in support of activities and purchases that reduce the risk of out-of-home placement, and support the achievement of goals.
• Participates in weekly supervision sessions, case reviews, bi-weekly team meetings and other meetings as required.
• Submits a weekly summary of all face-to-face to the referring worker for all open cases.
• Conducts a termination meeting with the family to summarize the progress made during the intervention and options for maintaining progress.
• Provides parent(s) with the Protective Factors Survey Retrospective to complete within seven days prior to case termination.
• Administers a family satisfaction survey and referring worker survey upon termination of services for each case.
• Completes, and/or attempts to complete, follow-up visits with each family served at three and six months following closure of the case.
• Attends court hearings and provide testimony at the request of the family, MDHHS or PAFC referring worker.
• Completes all necessary documentation in a way that meets the expectations for content and timeliness as required by the contract and the agency.
• Performs other special assignments at supervisor’s request.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the staff member is regularly required to talk and/or hear. The staff member is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The staff member, on occasion, may be asked to move or lift items up to 40 pounds in weight.

Work Environment:

This position is primarily office based, however, on occasion may require travel to other Agency offices as required by position responsibilities and/or agency management. This position will be routinely exposed to typical office noise levels and/or exposure to various weather conditions.

The qualifications listed above are guidelines for selection purposes; alternative qualifications may be substituted if sufficient to perform the duties of the job

• Knowledge of brief solution-focused therapy.
• Knowledge of the Families Together Building Solutions philosophy and intervention strategies.
• Knowledge and skills necessary to provide services appropriate to families and children 0-18.
• Knowledge of brief, solution focused and strength-based solution focused intervention strategies.
• Knowledge and skills around substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.
• Knowledge of local resources.
• Ability to have a non-judgmental positive attitude toward families in crisis.
• Ability to be committed to empowering families to solve their own problems.
• Ability to work in partnership with other team members and/or service providers.
• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to cultural differences present in the agency’s service population.
• Ability to forge a mutually respectful partnership with individuals and families in which they are helped to gain skills and confidence in addressing issues and problems.
• Must have the conviction about an individual’s/family’s capacity to change and grow.
• This position requires reliable transportation.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and good driving record with zero work restrictions.
• Must have personal auto insurance as required by law with minimum bodily injury coverage limits of $250,000 per person/$500,000 per incident or $500,000 combined.
• Must be willing to work a flexible schedule based on needs of the clients served. This may include working irregular hours including evenings, holidays, and weekends.
• Participation is required in initial FTBS and ongoing Family Preservation training provided by DHHS Family Preservation staff or DHHS coordinated trainers.
• Must submit to Agency approved background checks

Education:

A bachelor’s degree in any human services field or the field of education is required.

Experience:

A minimum of 1 year of prior field work experience working with children and families with multiple problems and the overall ability to relate to and engage with the families is preferred.

Professional Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations:

none required.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Our Mission

Inspired by the Church's social teachings, Catholic Charities West Michigan fosters individuals and families to flourish by providing help and creating hope.

Our Vision

Catholic Charities West Michigan is called to create a just and compassionate community where all people can achieve their divine purpose.

Our Values

• Sanctity of All Life
• Compassion
• Integrity
• Respect
• Equity

CCWM is an equal opportunity employer, subject to all federal and state laws as applicable to a religious Agency.